Serious flaws in sections of Dublin's Luas light rail system have been identified in a comprehensive study commissioned by the contractors who built the lines, writes Stephen Collins, Political Correspondent
Repair work on nearly eight kilometres (five miles) of track has been recommended as a matter of urgency in the interests of long-term safety for passengers using the two lines.
The study, commissioned by AMB Joint Ventures who built the Luas lines, was carried out by the Institute for Railway Engineering at the University of Graz in Austria.
It identifies deficiencies in the bonding material under the rail in the city sections of both Luas lines. Approximately 6.4km of track on the Tallaght line and 1.3km on the Sandyford line are affected.
"The debonding is gradually more serious with sharper curvatures of the alignment and manifests itself by opening of fissures and cracks which permit penetration of water into the load-carrying system," according to the report.
It says that, so far, no reduction in operational safety had been observed, but concern was expressed about the future. "The development of bonding deficiencies gives rise to foresee a growing uncertainty towards the reliability and proper functioning of the system, particularly in tight curves."
The report says that even before the opening of the Luas lines, the tracks were beginning to show deficiencies. "After installation, a small number of blocks showed debonding, with frequent use by trams the number of affected blocks increased dramatically.
"After a short period of commercial tram operation (October 2004) already 32 per cent of blocks in straights and wide curves and 57 per cent of blocks in tight curves showed failures," says the report.
The report recommends that the track structure will have to be strengthened in the critical sections through a number of track-stiffening measures.
Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell, who has raised safety concerns about the system in the past, said yesterday that the report raised a number of issues.
"Firstly we need to know why this report was commissioned and what its cost was. We then need to know what the cost is going to be of putting right the deficiencies that have been identified so soon after the system was opened. Finally, we need to know what the safety implications are."